TENANTS HARBOR, Maine — A 23-year-old entrepreneur plans to open a lobster processing plant along the Maine coast, with hopes of getting some of the business that now goes to Canada.
Kyle Murdock, who grew up on Monhegan Island, plans to have the Sea Hag Seafood plant running by Monday in the former Great Eastern Mussel Farms in Tenants Harbor. At a time when most Maine lobster is processed in Canada, Murdoch sees an opportunity to keep more of that business in Maine.
Murdock, who is part of a lobstering family, borrows the name Sea Hag from his father’s boat and a restaurant his parents once owned. He told the Portland Press Herald that at first, the plant will process up to 20,000 pounds of lobster a day, half of its capacity. At 40,000 pounds a day, the plant would process 4.8 million pounds of lobster per year, putting it on par with the state’s third-largest existing lobster processor, Linda Bean’s Maine Lobster in Rockland.
Maine’s five processing businesses compares with more than 30 in Canada.
Murdock’s business opens amid plummeting lobster prices that have dipped below $2 per pound, triggering a temporary blockade of Maine lobster deliveries to Canadian plants and creating tensions with Canadian processors over the prices they pay for the crustaceans. Last week, a deal was reached assuring Canadian lobstermen they will get at least $3.50 per pound from processors.
Some state officials see Murdock’s business as part of the key to ending woes in the lobster industry while improving the state’s economy.
” The protests in Canada highlight a serious flaw in our state’s economy,” said Rep. Walter Kumiega, D-Deer Isle, which is in the center of the lobster industry in Maine. “The opportunity for economic development is staring us in the face.”
State Sen. Chris Johnson, a Democrat who also represents a major lobster fishing area in Lincoln County, wants legislation to strengthen the Maine brand for lobster and increase processing in the state.
“Maine lobster is synonymous with good eating. We need to reclaim that brand and not ship it off to Canada to resell,” said Johnson. “Maine has the best lobstermen, and we need to show them we’ve got their backs.”
Good Luck Kyle! Maine needs this to protect the Lobster Industry, glad you stepped up to the plate.
Best of luck! Hopefully this works out to keep the lobsters in Maine and create some jobs.
I only read this article to figure out what ‘obster processing plant’ plant was…..
“obster” processing plant?
It’s code so the Canadian’s don’t know what we’re doing…..
Thankfully, you have Obama to help build your business!
Yes, nobody that is successful in business can claim that they did it on their own….Duh!
Just so you know, young Mr. Murdock received a FAME loan to start this business. Thank you, President Obama.
Where’s the nearest FAME bank. Can you name a couple?
I know Camden National Bank is one. It’s named in the article. I’m pretty sure Bangor Savings does them, too.
You’re an idiot…Obama has taken Bush’s destruction of jobs to a whole new level.
Yes, Obama made this happen, he said so on TV…
Really?! Are you really bringing Obama into this discussion board? Boy am I sick of everything going back on the president or the governor.
The article in the Portland Press said this business was being financed by a FAME loan. FAME loans are insured by the federal government. So, yes, thank you President Obama!
I ove a ood obster oll!
e oo !!
Best of Luck. How is the lobster to be processed and how or can product be bought locally etc.
Are you asking how is a lobster processed and can it be bought locally @frankie420:disqus ?
Yes I am. I have out of state friends that would like to have a supply of ready lobster. Does that explain the question or were you just having a problem with reading the question?
You didn’t have to be rude – it was an honest question.
I won’t offer any “good lucks” to you because there is no luck involved.
Just hard work and paying attention to business.
Hope it works out for you and yours.
you mean good uck.
We all need a bit of luck, and we all ought to accept that fact. Without it, the species wouldn’t have moved beyond the simple hominid state (for better and worse) that once defined us. As individuals, the same can’t be counted out as a factor in our survival to this point in our lives. Hard work and paying attention to business are of course important, very important – we all know that, but our inherited intelligence matters as does our rearing and support and other factors over which we had no control yet in a big way helped shape the course of our lives.
…
Ya. That’s called “working stupid”.
Most people have no idea what is involved in starting, running, and keeping a business.
In business, you make your own luck.
……
Ya.
You just kinda lay there, and let luck do all the work for ya.
That’s what I’ve been doing wrong for the thirty years of coming home dead tired.
Who knew?
Ive gotta git me some obsters!
don’t forget a pound of utter !
Let’s see, Governor LePage says the problems with Maine is regulations and the high cost of doing business. Well Sea Hag Seafood got the following assistance from the State of Maine (from our tax dollars and power bills);
The financial aid from the State that the start-up business received:
* Efficiency Maine provided $19,000 in incentives for low-energy use flash
freezer;
* The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) provided a $878,000 commercial loan
guarantee to Camden National Bank;
* FAME also provide Seed Capital Tax Credits that allows Sea Hag Seafood, which
investors can use to save 60% off their Maine income tax liability up to $5
million;
* Sea Hag Seafood is Pine Tree certified, which provides 10 year sales tax exemption
on company purchases and an 80% break on employee based taxes;
* DECD grants are under review.
Personally I hope Mr. Murdock’s business venture is a complete success, but I am totally over Republicans and Tea Party members complaining about our government. If government was the problem then Kyle would not have got ANY assistance in opening his business… By the way President Obama was right – we all depend on each other.
If you truly believe the rhetoric coming from all you R’s and TP’s then you should be hollering that Mr. Murdock should not have got a single penny from us as this is not the American capitalist way or Ayn Rand way…
My best of wishes to you Mr. Murdock.
Everything you listed had absolutely nothing to do with regulations that drive costs up.
You only used this article as a springboard for your Lepage derangement syndrome rhetoric and conservative bashing.
Don’t forget solyndra.
Don’t forget that the Solyndra loan was started during the Bush Administration. Oh, and that it has nothing to do with this article at all.
The fact remains that these guys took advantage of State and Federal programs that helped get their business off the ground. This is a good thing. Public/Private partnerships help put people to work and putting people to work is what we need more than anything.
Don’t forget GM. We still own 500 million shares of this company. Their stock trades at $21.50 but for the taxpayer to break even the shares would have to be $51. It’s all taxpayer money in the end.
Yes the Bush admin looked at giving Solyndra a loan but decided they could never pay it back and were doomed to fail. Then here comes Obama who got BIG cash from Solyndra and promises for more and what do you know a half billion dollar loan was approved. Why did you leave that out of your anti Bush rant?
That’s one company! Name two more, if you can.
Solyndra/Beacon Power/Ener-1/Range Fuels/Solar Trust of America/Spectrawatt/EverGreen Solar/Eastern Energy/Unisolar/Bright Automotive….. There’s more but you get my point. These and other’s are all filed for bankruptcy and there are lots more on the edge of bankruptcy.
Chrysler still owes 1.3 billion, but the President says it’s paid in full for some reason.
A fair post – fair in the sense that it is a reasoned one. It needs be said constantly to some that there is good governing and there is bad governing, but governing in and of itself is neither one. At this point, the large one hasn’t shown himself to be an example of good governing. Pointing that out is not bashing him – it’s simply pointing it out. Of course, there are those who think government shouldn’t involve governing in the public interest at all, but just what they do think isn’t always clear.
What an absolutely negative response, typical of libs.
What was negative about that post? It was just stating a reality. And Snow also wished him luck with his business! I don’t see negative in that post. Most of that information was in the PPH article. BDN’s article was half the size with half the information.
I couldn’t have said it better myself! Good luck, Sea Hag!
It is good to know of those different programs to start that someone else might be able to use to start up other processing plants downeast further!
All the best to Kyle I hope his business is a great success!!
Good point..behind all of the so called “private investment”there are huge greedy out of state companies asking for and getting millions in aid..I am so happy to see this going to a young Maine entrepreneur ..this is where it should be going..we should be incubating exactly this kind of venture and we should especially trying to add value to lobster in Maine within the local fishery..not through outside ownership.
Wow! Sounds like this plant is already up and running, why aren’t they already processing lobster? Didn’t they know there was a need already? Sounds like they did, and that they might have been working on this for some time. The BDN story would indicate that this just happened, I mean, nobody just sets up a business on this scale and just “opens up” by Monday….. Give them some credit already!
If anybody can do it, he can.
The humble Farmer
Areyou really the humble farmer ? I used to hear you on the radio !!!
What kind of life will those people have working up to 10 hrs. a day 6 days a week an i got this fropm other news papers
Completely happy lives don’t pay the bills bud.
You hit the nail on the head…….Guess collecting welfare is better than a job…
A lot easier, at least
A lot more people than you realize work 6, even 7 days a week at 8-12 hours a day.
So what kind of a life do those people have ?
They have a great life!!! My husband works 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day and still manages to spend time with his family. Lobstermen work 6 days a week and up to 14-15 hours a day and they are happy.
…..
Sounds like your promoting laziness , or some kinda social welfare /Social Justice scheme . Never mind, those are the same thing.
…………
You guys need new stuff to talk about.
“living wage” is just another Socialist catch phrase. A dependent people are more easily managed,much like sheep.
All you have are empty talking points.
No, I can support my thoughts with substance, without checking with the blogosphere.
You have empty sad thoughts.
I know a mind not full of envious notions and jealous schemes seems empty to some, but I like it just fine.
You think lobstermen work 14-15 hours a day 6 days a week? How many lobstermen do you actually know?
A very enjoyable life where we appreciate everything that we have and spend every second of our down time ENJOYING our lives and LOVING those individuals who make our lives so special
“To each his own.” Ask them.
easy eh?
A lot different than sittin’ on the couch with yer thumb in yer bum, waitin’ fer yer welfare check to show up in the mail………
Good deal……
Mr LePage will be proud of you.
Way to go, Kyle!!! We will support you in any way that we can! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I honestly and truely want this to work out for you and for all of us! Best of luck!
What is truely.
Sorry that you had to comment on the added “e” to the word. A little petty don’t you think?
No not really,
Goo luck with your business Kyle. When the occasion arisec, I’ll buy your lobstuh.
This is fantastic. It’s so great to hear of a young person with an idea who is willing to put in the hard work to run with it! Best of luck to him…and to the lobstermen out there who desperately need this!
From Snow-in- July
“The financial aid from the State that the start-up business received:
* Efficiency Maine provided $19,000 in incentives for low-energy use flashfreezer;
* The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) provided a $878,000 commercial loanguarantee to etc, etc. etc”
This is of course a nightmare to any rational thinking person. What we have here is subsidy piled on top of subsidy. I am not blaming Kyle but I sure as heck have a big problem with an economic system that requires this much government involvement in business formation. I understand the issues here and part of the problem is the fact that he is trying to compete with Canadian processors who are apparently subsidized by their government.
Business formation should be carried out by people getting financing entirely from people who have their own money in the game. Why do you think a government bureaucrat will invest your money more effectively than you will? Such deals are wide open opportunities for corruption and influence peddling.
There is no way government should be involved in this type of enterprise. It’s not fair to the taxpayers who are forced against their will to finance someone else’s business if they don’t want to in the first place. They might rather be financing their own business.
Furthermore if they weren’t taxing the snot out of everyone there wouldn’t be a need for the subsidies in the first place.
Having said all this I want to wish Kyle great success. Maine certainly needs entrepreneurial people like him.
Whats this? The State did something to create jobs and Paulie isnt sucking up the credit???
Good job Kyle, carpe diem!
How on earth will they ship da lobsta without Peters road to Canada, Why would you not build da plant near the canada to canada bypass. He has got it all wrong. Hey wait where does peter want to go with his road, oil pipe line and electric power line… let me think, oh from Canada to Canada. nowhere near the lobsta plant. or will it be.
Great news, along with the big sales push from Rep. Pingree to get cruise ships to stock their galleys with Maine lobster. The cruise people will be going wild.
Kyle needs state support to enable him to create additional canning facilities. We should expand on our world renowned industry – The Sweetest Tasting Lobster In The World.
Now is the time for action. Where is Mr Biz? We are the biggest producers of lobster in the USA and Mr Biz hasn’t said one encouraging word to the lobster catchers. And, not even a mild curse at the Canadians for their obnoxious attitudes.
Mr Biz is more concerned about upsetting his Canuck buddies.
awesome!
where can i get some of dat there grant money
Can’t wait to see how long it takes the DEP to ruin this venture.
Good luck…ah to be young and full of ambition and ignorance of the risks ahead of you.
May it go fat for you!